CNN, MS NOW, Politico call on judge to block White House ban
The outlets say the White House's pass revocation was unlawful retaliation for their coverage and accuse the administration of citing meritless national security concerns to justify the ban.
CNN, MSNBC, and Politico are set to appear in a Washington federal court on Thursday, seeking a judge's intervention to prevent President Donald Trump from banning their access to the White House. The trio's request for an extension of their protection stems from the president's recent decision to revoke their passes following the publication of articles they labeled as "FAKE NEWS." This move represents a fresh escalation in Trump's ongoing pressure campaign against media coverage he deems unfavorable.
During a September 23 hearing, Justice Department lawyers contended that the outlets endangered national security by disseminating classified information. They cited stories regarding the construction of Trump's White House ballroom and attendance at the recent Republican midterm convention. However, US District Judge Timothy Kelly, at a September 24 hearing, found substantial merit in the outlets' claims that the ban infringed upon their Fifth Amendment rights to fair treatment and their First Amendment rights to free speech.
He did not, however, rule on the outlets' assertion that the ban violated their First Amendment rights.
The legal dispute unfolds just weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, during which Trump's fellow Republicans are striving to maintain control of Congress. Recent opinion polls reveal that Trump's job approval ratings have reached their lowest point in his political career, fueled by concerns over the Iran war and inflation.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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